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2.93 AVERAGE
2.93 AVERAGE
I enjoyed this book and found it well-paced. Minus one star because I found the ending somewhat disappointing, even abrupt. As other reviewers mentioned, this book nicely handles the complexity of adult friendships and how they evolve once one friend gets married and has children.
Forget You Know Me reminded me of Jessica's last novel that I read, Not That I Could Tell. There was a lot of foreplay and excitement, but not much for a climax. Not a lot of bang, IMO. The story-line built up to so much with each page that you turned and it could have went so many ways but ultimately fell flat for me.
The plot was weak at best. Not to mention the many sub-plots that were just as weak. The author made it to where every character had something going on and then didn't give us time and reasoning to fully understand just what was going on. I know that may not make sense to you, but I promise in my head it does.
I do want to say that Jessica's writing is very easy to read (for me) but I can see where others may not enjoy it. I tend to flow through her stories effortlessly because her writing makes it so easy. But for some reason, her writing didn't work this go around in the sense of developing any kind of "connection" with these characters. It's almost hard for me to put into words how hard it was for me to understand what was going on with them or even why.
And then...it all just falls down. I didn't like the way the story was wrapped up. I wish I could give you the reasons why but I think we all know that I don't believe in spoilers. I can appreciate good writing when I see it and every time I pick up one of Jessica's books I know that her writing will be such a treat. For You Know Me was a book that held so much potential but once it was all said and done, I was left unsatisfied.
The plot was weak at best. Not to mention the many sub-plots that were just as weak. The author made it to where every character had something going on and then didn't give us time and reasoning to fully understand just what was going on. I know that may not make sense to you, but I promise in my head it does.
I do want to say that Jessica's writing is very easy to read (for me) but I can see where others may not enjoy it. I tend to flow through her stories effortlessly because her writing makes it so easy. But for some reason, her writing didn't work this go around in the sense of developing any kind of "connection" with these characters. It's almost hard for me to put into words how hard it was for me to understand what was going on with them or even why.
And then...it all just falls down. I didn't like the way the story was wrapped up. I wish I could give you the reasons why but I think we all know that I don't believe in spoilers. I can appreciate good writing when I see it and every time I pick up one of Jessica's books I know that her writing will be such a treat. For You Know Me was a book that held so much potential but once it was all said and done, I was left unsatisfied.
3.5 stars
Let’s get this out of the way from the start: just like her previous novel, Jessica Strawser’s newest work Forget You Know Me is once again WRONGLY labeled as being of the “mystery/thriller/suspense” genre when it should more accurately be placed in the “women’s fiction” or “contemporary fiction” categories. I’m not sure if Strawser’s marketing team is the one mis-categorizing her books or perhaps she originally did intend to write a suspense / thriller novel but it didn’t end up working out that way. Regardless of reason, the important thing is to NOT go into this book expecting a thriller -- or even domestic suspense for that matter -- because the book definitely won’t deliver on either front.
Just like with her previous 2 novels (her debut Almost Missed You as well as her sophomore novel Not That I Could Tell), Strawser starts off her story with an “explosive” scenario – in this case, it is one of the main characters Liza video-chatting with her best friend Molly one night while her husband is away on a business trip, when Molly steps away to tend to her kids and suddenly, through her laptop’s webcam, Liza sees a masked intruder entering Molly’s house. The screen goes blank and when Liza’s attempts to confirm Molly’s safety prove unsuccessful, she makes the rash decision to drive hours across state lines (Liza is in Chicago, Molly is in Cincinnati) to check on her, only to have her best friend be annoyed by her unexpected appearance and subsequently slam the door in her face. Angry and saddened, Liza returns home to Chicago, only to find out that she is about to have a “near miss” of her own.
Reading the first chapter with the above opening, plus the vagueness of the summary describing the book itself, I can see where the misunderstanding of this being a suspense / thriller may possibly come from. Despite the “shocking” incident that opens the story though, it is apparent a few chapters in that the incident serves merely as a catalyst to jump-start the story – after that, it becomes “background noise” of sorts, a plot point placed on the back burner in order to make way for the real plot: mostly a character-driven exploration of relationships, marriage, family, friendship, and just how badly lies and secrets can drive even the closest of friends and family apart. One of Strawser’s talents as a writer is her ability to draw up realistic portrayals of characters whom we can all relate to in one way or another – characters who are flawed and vulnerable and often dealing with issues that ordinary people face on a near daily basis. Going deep into her characters’ minds and giving us a thorough understanding of their thought process and rationale, we get to know Strawser’s characters intimately, though I will admit that with this particular book, it goes a little too deep in the sense that at certain points, it felt like some of the characters were overthinking and overanalyzing their situations a bit too much. This made the story a bit tedious to read at times, as some parts seemed to ramble on a bit unnecessarily. With that said though, I still enjoyed the book overall and the topics explored did leave me with some “food for thought” afterwards, which is always a good thing when it comes to my reading.
This is the third novel of Jessica Strawser’s that I’ve read and though none of her 3 books thus far have made it to my favorites list, I still enjoyed reading each one. I like the way Strawser writes and also the strength of her storytelling, which manages to keep me engaged and interested in the story even though there might not be much going on in it. This is an author whose books I know I will continue to read and look forward to each new release.
Received ARC from St. Martin’s Press via NetGalley
Let’s get this out of the way from the start: just like her previous novel, Jessica Strawser’s newest work Forget You Know Me is once again WRONGLY labeled as being of the “mystery/thriller/suspense” genre when it should more accurately be placed in the “women’s fiction” or “contemporary fiction” categories. I’m not sure if Strawser’s marketing team is the one mis-categorizing her books or perhaps she originally did intend to write a suspense / thriller novel but it didn’t end up working out that way. Regardless of reason, the important thing is to NOT go into this book expecting a thriller -- or even domestic suspense for that matter -- because the book definitely won’t deliver on either front.
Just like with her previous 2 novels (her debut Almost Missed You as well as her sophomore novel Not That I Could Tell), Strawser starts off her story with an “explosive” scenario – in this case, it is one of the main characters Liza video-chatting with her best friend Molly one night while her husband is away on a business trip, when Molly steps away to tend to her kids and suddenly, through her laptop’s webcam, Liza sees a masked intruder entering Molly’s house. The screen goes blank and when Liza’s attempts to confirm Molly’s safety prove unsuccessful, she makes the rash decision to drive hours across state lines (Liza is in Chicago, Molly is in Cincinnati) to check on her, only to have her best friend be annoyed by her unexpected appearance and subsequently slam the door in her face. Angry and saddened, Liza returns home to Chicago, only to find out that she is about to have a “near miss” of her own.
Reading the first chapter with the above opening, plus the vagueness of the summary describing the book itself, I can see where the misunderstanding of this being a suspense / thriller may possibly come from. Despite the “shocking” incident that opens the story though, it is apparent a few chapters in that the incident serves merely as a catalyst to jump-start the story – after that, it becomes “background noise” of sorts, a plot point placed on the back burner in order to make way for the real plot: mostly a character-driven exploration of relationships, marriage, family, friendship, and just how badly lies and secrets can drive even the closest of friends and family apart. One of Strawser’s talents as a writer is her ability to draw up realistic portrayals of characters whom we can all relate to in one way or another – characters who are flawed and vulnerable and often dealing with issues that ordinary people face on a near daily basis. Going deep into her characters’ minds and giving us a thorough understanding of their thought process and rationale, we get to know Strawser’s characters intimately, though I will admit that with this particular book, it goes a little too deep in the sense that at certain points, it felt like some of the characters were overthinking and overanalyzing their situations a bit too much. This made the story a bit tedious to read at times, as some parts seemed to ramble on a bit unnecessarily. With that said though, I still enjoyed the book overall and the topics explored did leave me with some “food for thought” afterwards, which is always a good thing when it comes to my reading.
This is the third novel of Jessica Strawser’s that I’ve read and though none of her 3 books thus far have made it to my favorites list, I still enjoyed reading each one. I like the way Strawser writes and also the strength of her storytelling, which manages to keep me engaged and interested in the story even though there might not be much going on in it. This is an author whose books I know I will continue to read and look forward to each new release.
Received ARC from St. Martin’s Press via NetGalley
Molly and Liza had been friends since childhood and although they now live in different states they still try and stay in contact as much as they can when they both have time to spare. One night they decide to hold a video chat once their kids are in bed as it’s been a while since they’d caught up with one another.
During the video chat, Molly leaves the room as she needs to see to her crying child. Whilst Molly is absent, Liza sees something that leaves her very worried and distressed, but what can she do when she lives so far away?
This story grabs your attention right from the start and immediately you want to know what’s going to happen next. Sadly the suspense stops just after that and I found the story began to drag and I became uninterested which is not what you want in a thriller/ suspense novel. Of course, this is only my opinion as I’m sure there will be many people who have and will love this book. So if you enjoy reading this genre please give it a go and make up your own mind.
During the video chat, Molly leaves the room as she needs to see to her crying child. Whilst Molly is absent, Liza sees something that leaves her very worried and distressed, but what can she do when she lives so far away?
This story grabs your attention right from the start and immediately you want to know what’s going to happen next. Sadly the suspense stops just after that and I found the story began to drag and I became uninterested which is not what you want in a thriller/ suspense novel. Of course, this is only my opinion as I’m sure there will be many people who have and will love this book. So if you enjoy reading this genre please give it a go and make up your own mind.
Liza and Molly have been best friends forever and while their lives are very different now they try to keep their friendship alive. A Skype call one evening while Molly's husband is away and her kids are in bed seems like the perfect moment to catch up. Her son interrupting them would be no big deal, except a man in a mask enters the room as Liza is watching on. She calls the police, but they don't find any proof and Molly believes it is connect to a secret she is keeping. While Liza tries to be a good friend, Molly is anything but. As their relationship takes on this new strain Molly finds herself having to face all the other secrets she has kept as well and not just from her best friend, but her husband too. Liza, on the other hand, learns how to let others into her life, especially when her entire world is rearranged.
More domestic (read: friendship) drama than thriller, Forget You Know Me follows two friends whose lives no longer intertwine. Molly has more secrets than she knows what to do with and Liza is learning to adjust to a world where she is afraid of the what-ifs. Liza's story was far more interesting for me than Molly's. Molly is self-centered, she does very little for others and takes advantage where she can, she also comes across as very dim-witted, which doesn't align with how her partner and friend think of her. Liza, on the other hand, is caring, altruistic, and going through something many people will be able to connect with. Her experience is jarring; the loss of her home and the acquaintances there and the loss of a friend at the same time impacting her greatly. While she is present, her emotions are all over the place and her brain is caught up in fear. Their relationship, though I'm sure was sincere at one point, comes across as forced and like something neither really wanted.
As individual stories I think they might have been very interesting, who can deny a story about a wife who lies herself into the deepest hole, but combined it was very easy to become detached from the stories. I do so enjoy Jessica Strawser's storytelling abilities and think this is a case of its not the book, it's me. I'll be looking forward to future releases.
ARC provided.
More domestic (read: friendship) drama than thriller, Forget You Know Me follows two friends whose lives no longer intertwine. Molly has more secrets than she knows what to do with and Liza is learning to adjust to a world where she is afraid of the what-ifs. Liza's story was far more interesting for me than Molly's. Molly is self-centered, she does very little for others and takes advantage where she can, she also comes across as very dim-witted, which doesn't align with how her partner and friend think of her. Liza, on the other hand, is caring, altruistic, and going through something many people will be able to connect with. Her experience is jarring; the loss of her home and the acquaintances there and the loss of a friend at the same time impacting her greatly. While she is present, her emotions are all over the place and her brain is caught up in fear. Their relationship, though I'm sure was sincere at one point, comes across as forced and like something neither really wanted.
As individual stories I think they might have been very interesting, who can deny a story about a wife who lies herself into the deepest hole, but combined it was very easy to become detached from the stories. I do so enjoy Jessica Strawser's storytelling abilities and think this is a case of its not the book, it's me. I'll be looking forward to future releases.
ARC provided.
This book dragged on for me and I only finished it hoping that there would be a twist or something to save it in the end. I unfortunately saw the "twist" coming from early on. The side characters are all over the place and the author does not leave the reader with a conclusion for at least 3 of the characters who were significant enough to write about their issues but yet she doesnt address the result of the issues. This book was lacking from start to finish.
Oh how I wanted to love this book. The first chapter had me hooked and I thought it was going to be a great thriller. Then it switched into a womens fiction book with slight suspense. Molly and Liz have been friends since elementary school. Molly stays in town and raises a family while Liz takes a new job in Chicago. Molly's marriage is in trouble, she suffers from chronic pain, and is in over her head in bills. After a tragedy strikes Liz, she tries to cope with anxiety. The story is about friendships and marriage and what we would do to keep them. Forget You Know Me is wordy at times. I think if I went in knowing it wasn't a thriller, I would have enjoyed the story more. Thank you to Jessica Strawser, Netgalley, and the publisher for an ARC of this book and this is my honest review.
I think it’s important to go into this one with the mentality that it is a drama and not a psychological thriller. It starts off like a thriller, so I can see why some readers were misled. However, the story itself is about the drama of a couple both in and outside the relationship. The characters were well-developed and the hint of mystery kept me reading and wanting to know what happened! However, at times it was a slow-moving story and I often disagreed with the actions of the characters. I enjoy reading about characters I disagree with, as long as they are well-developed, which was the case with this book. If you liked Not That I Could Tell, you will enjoy the author’s follow-up!
Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
This book started out very gripping and suspenseful. I expected more of a thriller, but was not disappointed. I felt connected to the characters throughout the book and enjoyed the plot. The ended was not was expected, but not disappointing.
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes